Potpourri of Contrast Controversies and Myths: Where Is the Actual Evidence?

There are many misconceptions related to the usage of intravenous contrast agents for medical imaging. These misconceptions can affect patient care, as they can lead to nonoptimal examination usage. Knowledge of the current contrast-related misconceptions can help radiologists provide higher quality care to their patients.

Extending Professional Identity Formation to develop academic faculty for a new medical school.

Academic health centers have a responsibility to foster professional development approaches and engagement environments for faculty to elevate both knowledge and sense of belonging as medical educators. This new educational methods submission depicts faculty development and engagement initiatives implemented at a single institution that were created and influenced by the psychological framework of Professional Identity Formation. The authors suggest ways that academic medical centers can draw upon the formation of these programs to best serve their faculty for cultivating development and engagement for professional growth.

A 5-Year Update on the IR Residency Match: 2022 National Survey Results of Program Directors and Matched Applicants Compared with 2017.

Purpose: To characterize the experiences of matched applicants (MAs) and program directors (PDs) in the 2022 interventional radiology (IR) residency Match and compare with 2017 data.

Methods: Surveys were distributed to IR PDs and MAs from the 2022 Match. Findings were compared with those of 2017 using the 2-sample t test and Fisher exact test.

Development and Pilot Evaluation of a Decision Aid for Small Kidney Masses.

Objective: To develop and pilot test a patient decision aid (DA) describing small kidney masses and risks and benefits of treatment for the masses.

Methods: An expert committee iteratively designed a small kidney mass DA, incorporating evidence-based risk communication and informational needs for treatment options and shared decision-making. After literature review and drafting content with the feedback of urologists, radiologists, and an internist, a rapid qualitative assessment was conducted using two patient focus groups to inform user-centered design.

Adapting to the Era of Virtual Recruitment: Radiology Departmental Website Response to COVID-19 and Portrayal of the Resident Experience.

Rationale And Objectives: The COVID-19 pandemic has transformed radiology recruitment into a virtual affair and placed an even stronger emphasis on the importance of departmental websites. In this study, we evaluate residency websites in detailing the response to COVID-19 as well as initiatives which help describe the resident experience.

Materials And Methods: Program websites for diagnostic radiology residencies listed in the 2022 Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS) program list were evaluated for 31 criteria related to departmental response to COVID-19, online outreach, and resident wellness.

Resident Wellness in Radiology as Portrayed by Departmental Websites.

Rationale And Objectives: Departmental websites are often the first exposure applicants have in researching programs. Websites provide information about resident education as well as infrastructure for resident wellness. For this study, we reviewed residency websites to evaluate resident wellness initiatives and extent of details available online.

Prostatic Artery Embolization and Sexual Function: Literature Review and Comparison to Other Urologic Interventions.

Many interventions to treat men with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) associated lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) are associated with sexual side effects or complications, such as hematospermia, erectile dysfunction, or ejaculatory dysfunction. As loss of sexual function can significantly impact quality of life, an optimal treatment for BPH associated LUTS would be one without any sexual dysfunction side effects. Prostatic artery embolization is a minimally invasive treatment for men with BPH associated LUTS.

Preventing Physician Burnout in Breast Imaging: Scope of the Problem and Keys to Success.

Physicians, including radiologists and specifically breast imagers, face many challenges, and stressors during their daily routine, many of which can contribute to burnout. While there is an increasing body of literature evaluating burnout, including its prevalence in and impact on radiologists, there is a relative lack of information specifically addressing this topic as it relates to breast imaging. This article reviews key concepts in burnout, describes the potential impact on physicians at all levels of training and work, highlights unique aspects to the specialty of breast imaging that may contribute to burnout, and suggests tool and/or strategies that may help to combat and prevent burnout among breast imagers.

National Survey to Assess Gender, Racial, and Ethnic Differences Among Radiology Residency Applicants Regarding Factors Impacting Program Selection.

Rational And Objectives: Radiology has one of the lowest female representation rates in medicine and recruiting female residents is a challenge for some residency programs. There is limited understanding of gender differences among residency applicants during program selection. The study objective is to investigate which program factors were considered most important by radiology residency applicants and to assess for differences by gender, race and ethnicity.

Preserving Radiology Resident Education During the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Simulated Daily Readout.

Rationale And Objectives: The educational value of the daily resident readout, a vital component of resident training, has been markedly diminished due to a significant decrease in imaging volume and case mix diversity. The goal of this study was to create a "simulated" daily readout (SDR) to restore the educational value of the daily readout.

Materials And Methods: To create the SDR the following tasks were performed; selection of cases for a daily worklist for each resident rotation, comprising a combination of normal and abnormal cases; determination of the correct number of cases and the appropriate mix of imaging modalities for each worklist; development of an "educational" environment consisting of separate "instances" of both our Picture Archive Communication System and reporting systems; and the anonymization of all of the cases on the worklists.

Assessing the Status of Mentorship Programs in Interventional Radiology Residency Training: Results of a 2018 Survey.

Rationale And Objectives: To assess the prevalence and structure of mentorship programs in interventional radiology (IR) residency programs.

Materials And Methods: A 12-question anonymous survey was distributed via email to all 78 program directors (PDs) of United States IR residency programs. The survey included information about the presence or absence of a formal mentorship program at their institution, how the program functions, potential barriers to implementation, and future plans for mentorship.

Use of a steerable microcatheter during superselective angiography: impact on radiation exposure and procedural efficiency.

Background/purpose: To study steerable microcatheter (SM) use in moderate and highly difficult vessel selection compared to conventional pre-shaped microcatheter (CM) use.

Material And Methods: An IRB approved, single institution analysis of 40 complex angiographic procedures with and without superselective microcatheter use during an eight-month period in 2017 was performed. Target vessels were deemed moderate or highly difficult to select based on vessel size, tortuosity, and/or angulation during non-selective initial angiography.

How to Read, Write, and Review the Imaging Literature.

Everyone at all levels in academic radiology is supposed to know how to read an original research article or a review article and to evaluate it critically, to participate in writing such manuscripts, and, as one becomes more senior, to participate in the peer review process, yet there is little formal teaching in our experience as to how to do these inter-related activities throughout radiology training. The purpose of this review article is therefore to provide our perspective - from the junior trainee to the senior radiology attending - as to how one should be reading, reviewing, and writing the imaging literature, and also providing guidance from other thought leaders in this area, and from the literature itself. We hope to inspire radiology trainees and radiologists at all levels, particularly those in academic careers, to more fully participate in peer review and in radiology publication.

Characteristics of musculoskeletal radiology job postings to guide radiology trainees.

Objective: To review current musculoskeletal (MSK) job market postings to define the listed requirements for practice in order to provide insight to guide residents pursuing fellowship training in MSK radiology to best meet the needs of potential future employers.

Methods: Utilizing the ACR (American College of Radiology) Career Center, a review of the ACR job postings began 6/1/2018 focusing on jobs labeled as musculoskeletal (MSK) subspecialty. E-mail notifications from the career center were reviewed, and jobs were tracked prospectively for 1 year.

Training by the Numbers: A Survey-Based Analysis of the Number of Positions Available in New Interventional Radiology Training Pathways.

Objective: As of June 30, 2020, interventional radiology (IR) fellowships will cease to exist and will be replaced by the integrated IR, independent IR, and early specialization in IR (ESIR) pathways. The objective of this study is to determine the alignment in the number of available positions between the ESIR and independent IR pathways.

Methods: An analysis was performed of 150 residency programs offering at least 1 of the 3 IR training pathways.

Extreme recurrent massive hemoptysis in a cystic fibrosis patient requiring 22 separate embolization procedures prior to lung transplantation: A case report.

While bronchial artery embolization is an established, safe, and effective treatment for massive hemoptysis from a variety of causes including cystic fibrosis, patients rarely require more than 2 angiography and embolization treatments during their lifetime. We present a rare case of massive, recurrent hemoptysis requiring a total of 22 angiography and embolization procedures over a period of 8 years, prior to the patient receiving a double lung transplant.

Evaluating the frequency and severity of ovarian venous congestion on adult computed tomography.

Purpose: While pelvic congestion syndrome and chronic pelvic pain are relatively common in women, no large- or medium-sized studies have been conducted to our knowledge to evaluate the frequency and severity of ovarian vein dilatation (OVD) on computed tomography (CT). The purpose of our study was therefore to analyze a large number of consecutive abdominal and pelvic CT scans in adult women to determine OVD frequency and severity.

Methods: An IRB-approved, single-institution retrospective analysis of 1042 consecutive abdominal and pelvic CT scans in women ages 25-65 was performed.

Long-term outcomes after percutaneous renal cryoablation performed with adjunctive techniques.

Objective: To review the technical success of image-guided percutaneous cryoablation of renal masses in difficult anatomic locations using adjunctive techniques to displace critical structures away from the ablation zone, while also reporting longer-term outcomes within this patient population.

Methods: An IRB approved, retrospective analysis of 92 renal masses treated with percutaneous cryoablation revealed 15 cases utilizing adjunctive techniques. Tumor size and distance to adjacent organ before and after adjunctive technique and long-term outcomes were evaluated.

A Novel Technique to Measure the Intensity of Abnormality on GI Bleeding Scans: Development, Initial Implementation, and Correlation With Conventional Angiography.

Purpose: Develop a technique to quantify intensity of lower gastrointestinal bleeding (LGIB) on Tc-labeled red blood cell (RBC) scintigraphy, correlate with angiography, and determine the tool's predictive value.

Materials And Methods: An IRB-approved, single institution database query of GI bleeding scans performed between January 2013 and December 2015. Reports from all studies and imaging from all positive studies were reviewed.